Football: Bowyer is ready to snub new deal

Lee Bowyer is ready to reject Leeds' renewed offer of £40,000-a-week wages in the hope of forcing the Elland Road club to set up a cut-price deal that will give him an escape route back to London.

Contract rebel Bowyer will meet Leeds manager Terry Venables in Melbourne tomorrow after flying out to join the touring squad in the wake of the collapse of his £ 9 million move to Liverpool.

Venables plans a fresh bid to persuade the 25-year-old midfielder to forget his differences and sign the five-year deal that was thrown back at chairman Peter Ridsdale.

But East Ender Bowyer, a then club record £2.6million signing from Charlton, is keen to get back to familiar surroundings and try to claim an England place this season.

He will again refuse to commit himself to Leeds in the knowledge that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has FA Cup Final hero Ray Parlour to bargain with, is a strong admirer and in the market for a midfielder.

But Arsenal have been reluctant to spend this

summer and if they fail to come up with the cash, Bowyer has told his agent he is prepared to sit out the remaining year of his contract so he can walk free on a Bosman transfer in 12 months' time.

Then Arsenal would find themselves in competition with their north London rivals, Tottenham, for Bowyer's signature although Spurs, who are showing an interest in Leeds striker Robbie Keane, could not match the Liverpool offer for Bowyer.

The midfielder has been publicly upbeat about returning to Leeds, yet he has never forgiven the club for imposing an £80,000 fine for heavy drinking on the night an Asian student was brutally attacked.

Liverpool's decision to stop the haggling over Bowyer's five-year deal came after their negotiating team felt that his heart was still in the south of England and that he would have stayed on Merseyside only if he had no alternative.

That attitude, as much as the intense bargaining and financial complications, led Anfield boss Gerard Houllier to declare that Bowyer did not show 'the hunger and desire expected of a Liverpool player'.

Ridsdale's £40,000-a-week offer has remained on the table, but if Bowyer refuses to sign it then Leeds cannot allow him to see out the final 12 months of his deal.

His market value has already plunged to £9m from the £15m Leeds could have expected a year ago, but any reasonable offer would be preferable to Ridsdale than a Bosman free next July.

Bowyer, who was cleared of all charges at the assault trial that blighted Leeds' campaign, is facing a further civil action from Sarfraz Najeib, 23, and his brother, who are claiming £100,000 in damages.

Arsenal's interest relates to their uncertainty over Patrick Vieira, who is yet to sign a new deal, while Leeds' Frenchman Olivier Dacourt, who is a Juventus target, is also being monitored by the Highbury club, who were unable to raise £15m for PSV Eindhoven's Mark van Bommel.

Venables will step up his pursuit of Brett Emerton, although the plc board believe Feyenoord's £7m asking price is too high.

Republic of Ireland marksman Keane was among the scorers yesterday as Leeds kicked off their tour of the Far East and Australia with a 5-1 win over Chinese second division side Green Town. Danny Mills, Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Robbie Fowler also netted.

Kewell will arrive in Melbourne being tipped as Australia's new skipper in succession to Paul Okon, who has been freed by Watford. Kewell's non-availability for internationals has led to rows in the past, and officials feel the responsibility of the captaincy would carry weight in club versus country arguments.

Australia coach Frank Farina said: 'I've always believed Harry would captain his country. He leads by deeds rather than by barking instructions. I think he'll enjoy the job.'